Self-service system having predictive capability

Abstract: A self-service system, such as an automated teller machine (ATM) system, uses predictive technology. When a user begins a transaction by inserting an identification card into a card reader of an ATM, the predictive technology predicts which service or services provided by the system the user is likely to request. This prediction is based upon a stored record in the system, representing previous transactions by that user. The prediction is made in advance of completion of an authorisation process for the transaction, to increase the speed of operation of the ATM in carrying out the transaction. For example, to reduce overall transaction time, the ATM can count out a predicted amount of cash in advance of an anticipated withdrawal request. Also, the prediction is used to generate a special display for a particular user, the display being designed to simplify the decisions and selections required to be made by the user.

Description: The present invention relates to a self-service business system. As the complexity and range of services made available by self-service systems such as automated teller machines (ATMs) increase, there is a desirability that the means by which a user interacts with these systems should be improved. Where the services provided by a self-service system are both large in number and varied in nature, it has been necessary to break these up into functional groups. It is known to provide a series of menu interfaces which allow a user to navigate through these groups, allowing the user to access the actual service which the user requires. Generally, the user must evaluate each of the options presented on a menu and select one of them, either to proceed to a lower level menu or to request a required service. The number of decisions and selections that a user must make increases as the range of facilities provided increases. This increasing workload for the user is known as cognitive load, and is likely to have an increasing impact in the future as regards the time taken to complete transactions and as regards the willingness of a user to use the full range of facilities offered by a self-service system. An automated teller machine is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 3-168892 in which facilitates and improves the efficiency of money transfer transactions at that ATM by displaying to a customer who has selected a money transfer transaction option on an initial display screen at a particular ATM, a list of the monetary facility destinations available to the customer, in the order of their frequency of designation at that ATM. Therefore, local monetary facility destinations which are frequently selected by customers during money transfer transactions at a particular local ATM are more likely to appear near the top of the list on the display. It is an object of the present invention to provide a self-service business system having the features of simplified mode of operation and reduced transaction time. According to the invention there is provided a self-service system including: one or more self service terminals, each including a user interface unit having user identification means and input means operable by a user for initiating a selected self-service transaction; and controller means controlling the operation of said system; characterized by storage means arranged to store data characterizing the behaviour pattern of a user with respect to their use of the terminals included in the system in previous transactions ; prediction means coupled to said storage means to said identification means and to said controller means and arranged to predict the type of transaction to be initiated by a given user on the basis of the data stored in the storage means for that user, the mode of operation of said system when performing a transaction for a particular user being dependent on a prediction made by said prediction means following identification of that user. Thus, the present invention employs a technique in which aspects of each user's previous behaviour and requirements in self-service transactions are recorded and are then used to predict what the user's probable requirements will be in future transactions. With this system, the interfaces and operation of the system can be modified to best address these needs. By constantly updating the system's knowledge of the user's behaviour, the prediction can adapt to the user's changing requirements and experience. For example, if each time the system is used the record of previous use is updated, it is possible for the prediction to adapt to changing patterns of use. Within the self-service environment there are a number of specific services that can be performed using any one terminal. For example, a standard ATM allows the withdrawal of a number of different cash amounts, the printing of mini-statements, the display or printing of a user's account balance, the requesting of a full statement to be sent to a user, and the making of a deposit. In any one transaction, a user may wish to select one or more of these services. For example, a user may wish to withdraw a specified amount of cash, such as £20, and obtain a mini-statement. Each time that a user performs a transaction, the user behaviour and the final requirements can be recorded in some manner by the self-service system. This recorded information can then be used to construct a data base which characterizes that user's behaviour pattern with respect to the user's use of the terminals included in the system. This data base can be stored in the host computer of the system, in the user's card or in a combination thereof, as appropriate. One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a self-service system in accordance with the invention incorporating a plurality of ATMs; Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of one of the ATMs of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating the operation of the self-service system; Fig. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating part of the transaction illustrated in Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating another part of the transaction illustrated in Fig. 3. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the self-service business system shown therein includes a plurality of ATMs 10 connected in conventional manner to a host computer 12. As shown in Fig. 2, each ATM 10 includes a conventional user interface unit or fascia 14 incorporating key operated input means 16 for enabling a user of the ATM 10 to enter a personal identification number (PIN) and to select desired services provided by the ATM 10, a lead-through display screen 18 for indicating to the user the options available to him in carrying out a transaction on the ATM 10 and for indicating the keys of the input means 16 which require to be operated in order to select a desired service or services, and a card reader 20 for reading account information contained on an identification card which the user inserts in operation into a slot (not shown) forming part of the card reader 20 whereby the user can be identified. Other conventional modules included in each ATM 10 include a cash dispenser 22 for counting and presenting currency notes to a user, a receipt printer 24 for printing receipts to be presented to a user when a deposit or cash withdrawal is made using the ATM 10 and for printing a mini-statement or balance of account statement when requested by a user, a journal printer 26 for printing a record of transactions carried out by the ATM 10, a depository 28 for receiving envelopes containing cash and/or cheques deposited by a user, environmental data source means 30 for providing data as to the time and date of a transaction together with the location of the ATM 10, processing means 32 for controlling the operations of the various elements of the ATM 10, and a communications module 34 for coupling the ATM 10 to the host computer 12. The host computer 12 includes a user reference file 36 which includes records of the types of transactions performed by users in previous uses of the system which includes the various ATMs 10, and also environmental data relating to these transactions. Also included in each ATM 10 is a predictive system 38 which is arranged to use the information contained in the user reference file 36 for a particular user to ascertain what service or services have been requested most frequently by that user at particular times, dates and locations in the past, and therefore what service or services are most likely to be requested by that user when he next initiates a transaction by inserting his identification card into the card reader 20 of one of the ATMs 10. The processing means 32 of each ATM 10 acts in dependence on the output of the predictive system 38 to cause the ATM 10 to perform certain operations at certain times and in certain sequences in order to cause the ATM 10 to complete a transaction with greater overall speed, and to simplify the decisions and selections which need to be made by the user, if the service or services actually requested is or are the same as the service, or at least some of the services, which have been predicted. Thus, the processing means 32 causes a particular menu to be displayed on the lead-through display screen 18 following initiation of a transaction by a user and following a prediction that particular services are likely to be requested by the user. For example, a simplified menu could be displayed consisting of only four questions, such as: "Do you require £20?", "Do you require £30?", "Do you require a mini-statement?", and "Do you require some other transaction?". Also, immediately following the initiation of a transaction, the ATM 10 could obtain system authorization for, and count out ready for presenting to the user, a predicted amount of cash in advance of an anticipated withdrawal request. If, for example, a withdrawal request is predicted to be either £20 or £30, then £20 will be counted out since, if £30 is actually requested, a further £10 can readily be counted and added to the already counted out amount. The operation of the self-service system will now be described with reference to Figs. 3 to 5. It should be noted that in Fig. 3 control flow is represented by a single line while data flow is presented by a double line. Referring now particularly to Fig. 3, a transaction is initiated by a user inserting his identification card (block 40) into the slot (not shown) forming part of the card reader 20 of the ATM 10 being used by the user. A user authorisation process (block 42) is then initiated by virtue of the user entering his PIN in the interface unit 14 using the input means 16. In parallel with the user authorisation process 42, a prediction process (block 44) is performed by the predictive system 38 of the relevant ATM 10, the prediction process being initiated in response to user identification data derived from the identification card being applied to the predictive system 38. At the beginning of the prediction process 44, data concerning the user's previous behaviour pattern derived from the user reference file 36 and date and time data derived from the environmental data source 30 are loaded into the predictive system 38. On the basis of the loaded data, the predictive system 38 predicts what service or services the user is likely to wish to use, and provides an assessment of the probability that a particular service will be requested. Following such prediction and assessment, the predictive system 38 determines what is the most appropriate menu interface for the user and causes this menu to be displayed on the display screen 18. At the same time, the predictive system 38 predicts whether the user is likely to request a cash withdrawal, and also whether the user is likely to request a service (request for a mini-statement or balance of account) requiring access to the host computer 12 in the course of the transaction. If a cash withdrawal is predicted, the predictive system 38 also predicts, in order of probability, the most likely amounts expected to be requested; on the basis of such prediction, the processing means 32 of the relevant ATM 10 causes the cash dispenser 22 to count out and have ready for presentation to the user (block 46) a particular amount of cash in advance of any request for a cash withdrawal actually being made by the user. If a request for a mini-statement or balance of account is predicted, the processing means 32 obtains the relevant information from the host computer 12 (block 48) and holds this information ready for preparing and printing out or displaying to the user a mini-statement or balance of account, again in advance of such request actually being made. It should be understood that each of the processes represented by the blocks 46 and 48 commences prior to the completion of the authorisation process 42, thereby frequently enabling a saving in overall transaction time to be achieved. After the user authorisation process 42 has been completed and the user's identity has been verified, an interaction process (block 50) takes place in which using the information and lead-through instructions displayed on the display screen 18 the user requests a particular service by means of the input means 16. If this particular service is already one of the options displayed on the screen 18 at the commencement of the interaction process 50, the user simply actuates one or more of the keys of the input means 16, as indicated on the screen 18. If the service desired by the user is not one of the displayed options, then one or more alternative menus are displayed on the screen 18, in response to instructions entered by the user by means of the input means 16, until the desired service is one of the options displayed. It should be understood that in the course of an interaction process 50 in which one or more alternative menus are displayed there is an interchange of data between the interface unit 14 and the predictive system 38 whereby, if appropriate, the or each alternative menu is at least partly determined by predictions made by the predictive system 38. However, in some circumstances, particularly if the user desires a service inconsistent with his previous behaviour pattern, then a standard menu not based on any predictions may be displayed. Transaction processing takes place (block 52) in response to a request for a particular service. Referring now additionally to Fig. 4, if the service request is a request for a mini-statement or balance of account then a check is initially made (block 54) as to whether the required data has already been made available (block 48) as a result of the prediction process 44. If the required data is already available, then the requested statement or balance information is immediately prepared (block 56) and presented to the user (block 58) by way of a printed record prepared by the printer 24 or by way of a visual display on the screen 18. If the required data is not already available, then in conventional manner it is necessary to obtain the required data from the host computer 12 (block 60) before proceeding to the preparation and presentation of the statement or balance information (blocks 56 and 58). Referring now additionally to Fig. 5, if the service request is a request for a cash withdrawal then a check is initially made (block 62) as to whether the amount of cash actually requested is less than the amount of cash already counted out and held available for presentation (block 46) as a result of the prediction process 44. If the requested amount is not less than the already available amount, then a check is made (block 64) as to whether the requested amount is greater than the available amount. If it is not greater, this means that the requested amount is the same as the available amount and so the transaction process can immediately proceed to the next stage. If, as a result of the check made in block 62, it is found that the requested amount of cash is less than the available amount then it is necessary to dispose of the already counted cash (block 66) by transporting this cash to a purge bin (not shown) in the ATM 10 and to initiate another cash counting process (block 68) in which the correct amount of cash is counted out before proceeding to the next stage of the transaction process. If, as a result of the check made in block 64, it is found that the requested amount of cash is greater than the available amount then it is necessary to add the appropriate additional amount of cash to the already counted amount (block 70) before proceeding to the next stage. It should be understood that since it is undesirable to have to purge cash on a frequent basis, then if the predictive system 38 predicts a cash withdrawal of two or more possible amounts with reasonably equal probabilities then in block 46 the lowest one of the possible amounts of cash will be counted out. Referring again particularly to Fig. 3, after a transaction process 52 has been completed, a check is made (block 72) as to whether another service is required by the user. If another service is required, then the transaction process returns to block 50 for the appropriate further interaction process and transaction process to be carried out. If another service is not required, then the user reference file 36 is updated (block 74) so as to take account of the requested service or services and the environmental data relating to the present transaction, after which the user's identification card is returned to him (block 76). Finally, a check is made (block 78) as to whether cash is to be dispensed to the user. If no cash is to be dispensed, then the transaction process is terminated and the ATM readies itself for the next user transaction. If cash is to be dispensed, then the already counted amount of cash is presented to the user (block 80) as the final stage in the transaction process. In an alternative embodiment of a self-service system in accordance with the invention, instead of storing a user reference file in the host computer 12, a data base containing a record of a user's previous transactions could be stored in the identification card for that user, this data being read out at the same time as the identification data for the user. In a further alternative embodiment, an audio user instruction module could be used instead of or in addition to the lead-through display screen 18. It will be appreciated that since the prediction process and associated cash counting and computer accessing processes (blocks 46 and 48 of Fig. 3) of a system in accordance with the invention operate in parallel with the user authorisation process (block 42), a significant saving in transaction time is achieved for many of the transactions performed by the system. Moreover, since the menu interface is specifically designed for a particular user based on his previous behaviour pattern, the interaction process (block 50 of Fig. 3) can be significantly simplified for many user transactions thereby reducing the cognitive load.

Claims: A self-service system including: one or more self service terminals (10), each including a user interface unit (14) having user identification means (20) and input means (16) operable by a user for initiating a selected self-service transaction; and controller means (12, 32) for controlling the operation of said system; characterized by storage means (36, 30) arranged to store data characterizing the behaviour pattern of a user with respect to their use in previous transactions of the terminals included in the system; prediction means (38) coupled to said storage means (36), to said identification means (20) and to said controller means (12, 32) and arranged to predict the type of transaction to be initiated by a given user on the basis of the data stored in the storage means (36, 30) for that user, the mode of operation of said system when performing a transaction for a particular user being dependent on a prediction made by said prediction means (38) following identification of that user. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that the user identification means (20) is formed by a card reader for reading account information relating to a user from a card. A system according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that said input means (16) is associated with user instruction means (18) for providing to a user information concerning the action to be taken by the user to cause a desired transaction to be carried out by said system, the information provided by said instruction means (18) being dependent on the prediction made by said prediction means (38). A system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the information contained in said storage means (36, 30) is arranged to be updated each time a transaction is initiated by a user of the system. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the storage means includes an environmental data source (30) storing environmental data relating to transactions. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by authorisation means (12) arranged to authorise a transaction in response to the entry by a user of a personal identification number on said input means (16), said prediction means (38) being arranged to commence the process for making said prediction prior to the completion of an authorisation process for authorising said transaction. A system according to claim 6, characterized in that the self-service terminal (10) includes cash dispensing means (22), said cash dispensing means being arranged to commence counting of a predetermined amount of cash determined by said prediction prior to the completion of said authorisation process. A system according to claims 6 or 7, characterized by host computer means (12) coupled to said prediction means (38) and arranged to hold account information relating to users of the system, a process for accessing and transmitting account information concerning a particular user to said self-service terminal (10) being arranged to be commenced prior to the completion of said authorisation process. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that the storage means (36, 30) is located remotely from the self service terminals (10) of the system and is arranged to store data characterizing the behaviour pattern of each user of the system with respect to their use of any of the terminals included in the system in previous transactions. A system according to claim 2, characterized in that the storage means (36, 30) is located on the user's card.

Inventors: COUTTS MICHAEL G, NEWELL ALAN F, RICKETTS IAN W, COUTTS, MICHAEL G., NEWELL, ALAN F., RICKETTS, IAN W.
Applicants: NCR INT INC, NCR INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Application year: 1994
Main classification: G07F19
IPC codes: G07F19, G06Q30, G07D9